


Hugs

by ChaoticSimpleton



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anbu Hatake Kakashi, Baby Uzumaki Naruto, Child Death, DEAR LORD THE ANSGT, Fix-It of Sorts, How Do I Tag, I AM SO SORRY (No I'm Not), I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Missing-Nin Hatake Kakashi, Missing-Nin Uzumaki Naruto, Multi, Naruto is Just Naruto, Nuke-Nin Kakashi, Nuke-nin Naruto, Sad, Sad Hatake Kakashi, Well My Attempt At Sadness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:49:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24395293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaoticSimpleton/pseuds/ChaoticSimpleton
Summary: It's been three years since Kakashi had positive human contact. A simple urge for a hug turned into much more once it uncovered secrets that should've stayed hidden. Now a sixteen-year-old Kakashi and a two-year-old Naruto are on the run from Konoha.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi & Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 12
Kudos: 193





	Hugs

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, this is a rewrite. I want to give special thanks to Ladybird Sparrow, KasainoKage and Void- chan for going through my work with a fine-tooth comb and being amazing betas. I would also like to thank, EmptySurface and Joeriezeilany for motivating me to do this!
> 
> (Yee thats a lot of people but I worked on this for like 6 months and had many *many* re writes.)

Kakashi was long used to killing. Maybe it was the way he was reared, but slaughter was easier than social interaction. 

His feet followed rooftop pathways that were ingrained in his mind, each step allowing specks of dried blood to fall off his uniform. A grimace formed beneath his Anbu mask, as much as he wanted the blood gone, he didn't want to spoil Konoha earth with it. Not with the way it found itself on his body.

A flash of a kunai caught his attention and he tensed, prepared for an attack. His hand halfway ready to throw a kunai of his own, he realised with a start that it was an idiot genin showing off to his team. An idiot _Konoha_ genin.

Kakashi shifted his attention from the genin team to his squad, who had subtly changed formation. They held themselves between him and his would-be victims. No doubt ready to subdue him if the worst occurred.

He nodded his head in thanks and tried to rid his mind of the disturbing memories from their mission. Memories that clung like a poisonous smog, killing what was left of his sanity.

Kakashi sighed, dragged a hand through his matted hair and silently bemoaned the fact that he wouldn't be able to rest until later that day. Not with the amount of paperwork he had. 

He turned to his equally exhausted teammates and forced his numb fingers to sign through the pain, the digits bruised and cramped from their time clutching his kunai for dear life.

'Dismissed. Report to the Hokage at sunrise tomorrow.'

In unison, they signed 'received' and quickly shunshined off into the distance, leaving lightly browned leaves in their wake. Not that he blamed them for their swift departure; their latest mission was brutal in terms of orders and no doubt they need the comfort of their homes, family and friends.

While they weren't ashamed of following orders, it didn't erase the stigma of slaughtering children, no matter if experiments were little more than beasts and instincts at that point. Along with the amount of scrutiny his team was under from the Uchiha, Danzo and simple jealous shinobi. There was no doubt they would be in the same position as his father if the word was somehow leaked.

However, unlike his father, he would never leave his team, _his family_ behind in a blaze of blood, shock and guilt, if he was shunned by the village. He was stronger than that, he had to be.

Another sigh escaped his lips and his head instinctively turned eastbound towards Konoha's fifth district, before he realised what he was doing. No, he wasn't going to go there. Just no.

An unwanted frown sneaked onto his face. Kakashi knew logically that humans were social creatures, and that contact with another was essential for psychological healing. His mind turned back to his apartment covered in dog hair; his ninken who couldn't understand a lot of human emotions and his noisy neighbour that liked to throw kunai at the wall.

Still, it didn't mean he had to _like_ it.

Before he had a chance to change his mind, he forced his body into a shunshin. His entire being focused onto a single building. Each nail, each wooden plank, each window was imprinted in his mind.

How could it not? With all the time he spent there watching over that child. 

Kakashi disregarded the gut-wrenching lurch his body did at the thought of the orphanage. The child shouldn't be there, he should be in the arms of a loving mother. In Kushina's arms.

Part of his mind begged him to stop but his body just moved. Kakashi knew he'd regret this decision, because no matter how much he wanted comfort, wanted something to live for. Seeing sensei's son, seeing Naruto would hurt so, so much more.

The structure that now stood before him, the one that nurtured and cared for young children, felt cold, felt wrong. As if the arms of the shinigami itself clutched and suffocated any life out of it, leaving a hollow husk. A mockery of where a child should grow up, a mockery of a home.

He slipped into the building through an open window and flared his chakra, commanding the current Anbu to leave. And as expected, they did so without hesitation. No one disobeyed Hound about this, not unless they wanted to suffer wrath from the Hokage's bleeding heart.

Was it wrong to use an old man's grief for your advantage? His thoughts turned back to Minato's son and he decided no, it wasn't wrong at all.

The child, Naruto, wasn't kept with the other children. No, he was kept in an old overlooked room in the back. 

Alone. 

Forgotten.

Well practised by now, he ignored the white-hot rage that threatened to consume his body and locked it away into a small corner of his mind. Kakashi didn't want to scare Naruto. He had once read how sensitive children can be to the emotions of others. Kakashi didn't want to test that out, no matter how fascinating the fact was, not on Naruto. Never on Naruto.

As he walked into the room, the first thing that came into his mind was how bright Naruto's was, at least compared to the drab cracked walls. A few more steps forward and his eyes focused solely on the sleeping child's face drank up the peaceful, content look that felt so wrong combined with their surroundings.

This was the first time he ever got this close to him, never visiting him outside of guard duty. He could already hear Kushina's outraged screeches at the fact. _He hoped she understood, god, he hoped she understood._

Naruto's chubby cheeks held whisker-like marks, and if Kakashi didn't know Naruto was born with them, he would've thought someone carved them onto the baby's face and let them scar. 

Kakashi hesitated as he watched Naruto's chest rise and fall, could he really do this? Did he deserve to do this? _No, he didn't, he should turn and leave. Leave before you hurt him. Leave before you kill him. Leave!_

However, the decision was made for him as Naruto's eyes fluttered open and instantly landed on his form. But the child didn't move or scream like he half expected him to. No, Naruto just sat there staring at him with mild interest, like he knew Kakashi wouldn't give him any attention.

His heart clenched and without thinking, he stepped forward and picked up a surprised Naruo. Naruto's feet dangled as Kakashi held him in outstretched arms, not knowing how to hold a child.

Awkwardly, he brought Naruto closer and clutched him against his chest. Naruto's forehead clumsily sat on his collar bone and his boney knees poked Kakashi in his too tender ribs. Which in turn drew a pained hiss. Kakashi closed his eyes, let out a deep breath and let his instincts guide him, moving the child to his hips.

Naruto was balanced on the side of his hip where he had been injured, but he never felt happier or more content. A small smile graced his lips and a breathless chuckle escaped his lips.

Naruto, his sensei's son. Naruto. He was holding him. Naruto. _Sensei's son._

His elation started to die down, he realised with a start that he was standing in a dank room, holding a small child and smiling like a dope. Moreover, said child started to squirm in agitation, like a distressed worm.

...

He should've thought this through. What was he supposed to do now? What did parents usually do in this situation? He'd personally drop the child off with a responsible caretaker and shunshin to the memorial stone.

The memorial stone.

Determined, he shunshined out of the room and made his way towards training ground three, careful not to jog any of his injuries or use too much chakra. There would be hell to pay if the Hokage found out he unnecessarily injured himself again.

He would dress his wounds once he returned home. You could only spend so long partnered with a medical-nin and not pick up the basics.

Thankfully, when he arrived, the place was empty. With a small, insignificant flick of his wrist, he cast a small genjutsu over the area. A sign to ward any unwanted shinobi off, to show that he was in private mourning.

He basked in the sweet silence that followed. It filtered out ambient sounds, like wind and birds, but anything loud would penetrate through and disturb him. 

He hated it when he got distracted while thinking.

Kakashi looked down to Naruto, who had his pudgy arms stretched out towards the kunai shaped statue. 

Soft sunlight reflected off the marble and Kakashi felt himself go numb. This is what his pack had been reduced to, simple forgotten names carved into stone.

A long drawn out breath escaped his lungs. Mindful of Naruto, Kakashi lowered himself to the ground and sat cross-legged, putting Naruto on his lap.

“Minato, Kushina, Rin…Obito." He murmured, chest already tightening with grief. He never really spoke out loud to them before, not really, always sending small prayers through his mind, but never out loud. After all, the stone didn't talk back.

"This is Naruto," Kakashi hummed, arms unconsciously wrapping around the child, "and I think it's time for you to see him again."

His voice droned on, telling them about his week while skipping details about his latest mission, ignoring the way his voice choked up and stuttered over some words. He was sixteen and an Anbu captain, he shouldn't be acting like this. Not now, not ever.

Kakashi jolted when he felt small arms wrap around his torso and froze when he felt a head nestle into his abdomen. He hadn't been held like that since...since he returned without Rin.

* * *

_Kakashi walked towards Minato, disregarding the tears that wanted to fall from his eyes. He'd failed once again, he didn't deserve to cry. Blood trickled off his hand and dripped onto the rocks, not letting him forget what he'd done._

_The sound echoed hollowly throughout his ears._

_He watched as Minato's face went from confusion to grim realisation and felt his heart stutter._

_He caused that._

_He caused that._

_Falling to a kneel and he closed his eyes, not wanting to see how small he was compared to his Hokage and waited for the disciplinary action to begin. He'd failed and not just the mission. Somewhere, in the back of his fucked up mind, he knew Minato would never do that, but he was surprised all the same when instead of punishment, he felt arms wrap around his body._

_He was shocked all the same when he felt sensei's body start to shake as he cried. Kakashi stood there stiff as a board but allowed it to happen._

_He knew sensei would cry for both of them._

* * *

He looked down at the small boy on his lap. He...he was being hugged? Kakashi startled when Naruto looked up and yawned and brought a tiny hand up to his ear and scratched it. He looked so much like Minato. 

His shoulders started to shake with hysterical laughter, his sins always had to hurt people other than him.

Kakashi was stopped, however, when he felt Naruto stand and poke at his Anbu mask. He forgot he was still in that uniform. With a little hesitation, Kakashi lifted a shaking hand, pulled off his blood-stained mask and allowed it to fall to the floor.

Naruto let out a laugh, a gigantic grin on his little face and he resembled Kushina so much in that small moment it hurt. With his shoulders shaking even harder, he brought Naruto closer and hesitantly wrapped his arms around the little child.

He resisted the first few sobs that escaped his mouth, before giving in.

Maybe he imagined it, but he felt the familiar arms of Minato and Kushina hugging his shoulders.


End file.
